1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical image diagnostic apparatus that creates an image from data obtained by scanning a tested body placed on a bed, a picture archiving communication system server (PACS server) connected to a medical image diagnostic apparatus, an image reference apparatus for observing an image acquired by a medical image diagnostic apparatus, and a medical image diagnostic system having the medical image diagnostic apparatus, the picture archiving communication system server, and the image reference apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, areas of expertise of medical act are divided into parts. For example, an image diagnosis is divided into works including acquisition of a diagnostic image of a patient, reading of the acquired diagnostic image and report creation, and explanation of a diagnostic result or a treatment course based on the report result. Each expert (doctor in charge or technician in charge) is in charge of each of the works, and the medical act, such as diagnosis of a patient, is accomplished by collaborate works of the experts. Each of the experts performs each work on the basis of information, which is created by the other experts in a work of a previous step, and by properly referring past diagnostic information. These works are performed by using a medical image diagnostic apparatus, such as an X-ray CT apparatus or an MRI apparatus, which acquires a diagnostic image, a PACS server that stores diagnostic images, or an image reference apparatus for reading a diagnostic image, for example.
FIG. 29 is a view illustrating an example of a flow (from request from a patient to image test) of a medical act in an image diagnosis. As shown in the drawing, first, a requested doctor (family doctor) makes a test (study) order on the basis of a medical interview with a patient and sends the test order to a test technician (step Sa). Here, the order is transmitted to a variety of medical image diagnostic apparatuses through a network or the like by using an order system and refers to a request for a next test to be done.
Then, a test technician executes a test by the use of a predetermined medical image diagnostic apparatus so as to acquire an image of an affected part (step Sb). This test is executed by selecting a desired test from a list of test request (based on the test order) displayed on a monitor of a medical image diagnostic apparatus, for example. Thus, the test is executed on the basis of a principle test order. However, information described above may not be sufficient to determine a test method, a range/direction to be photographed, and a photographing condition. In this case, the test technician executes the test by referring to a previous test image, a previous report, and a key image (image serving as a basis of diagnosis) related to the previous report, in consideration of the range/direction of photographing and the photographing condition so that an image corresponding to the previous image can be obtained. Acquired image data is output from the medical image diagnostic apparatus as digital data and is stored in a PACS server, for example. Moreover, in the medical image diagnostic apparatus and the PACS server, an image is generally managed under a state where there are divided layers corresponding to study, series (indicator for distinguishing a one-time scan process), and an image. Accordingly, when the scan process is performed several times in a test, a plurality of series information corresponding to the test is stored and a plurality of images corresponding to the series (that is, the scan process thereof) is stored in each series.
Then, a doctor, who reads an image, in a department of radiology creates an image-reading report corresponding to the test order (step Sc). At this time, it is important to make a diagnose while comparing an image serving as a basis of a previous image diagnosis, that is, a key image related to a previous report with a present test image. Thus, the doctor, who reads an image, in a department of radiology checks details of request by referring to the order, checks points to be read by referring to the previous test report or image, and reads an image of a present test (performs an image diagnosis).
Then, a requesting doctor determines a result of the image diagnosis by referring to the created report (step Sd). That is, the requesting doctor analyzes details of the report while referring to the key image (image serving as a basis of diagnosis) related to the report and performs the diagnosis on the basis of the report and other information not shown, thus performing medical treatment.
However, a known medical image diagnostic system has the following problems.
In performing a comparative diagnosis referring to a past test, it is desired that details of a present test be close to details of the past test. However, in a known system, the test technician makes a test plan by referring to a past test image or film image stored in a file server or referring to information added in an image of the past test. However, the past test image or film image is basically used for image reading but is not used for a reference of a test (photographing). Accordingly, there occurs a problem that information required for the present test cannot be acquired, there is an item set by imagination based on a past image or the like, or a photographing condition where the same setting as previous setting cannot be made occurs. In particular, in a cross-sectional image such as an MRI image or an X-ray CT image, it is difficult for a test technician to figure out information on a photographing position, a reconstruction range, or the like.
Furthermore, in general, the position and posture of a patient on a top board of a bed are different from those previously set, in many cases, due to conditions (of both a patient and an operator) at the time of setting. Accordingly, precision for the comparative diagnosis may not be sufficiently obtained only by using a photographing plan (for example, a scan range and a reconstruction position) of the previous test.